The separation of ethylene and ethane is a crucial

challenging and cost-intensive process in chemical engineering. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of novel porous adsorbents used for the separation of ethylene/ethane mixtures. However

MOFs are normally crystalline powders that cause multiple problems

such as dust

abrasion and heat/mass loss

as well as significant pressure drops on the adsorption bed resulting in a sudden stop in production. To solve these issues

we have prepared four different sphere-shaped adsorbents

including Mg-gallate

Co-gallate

MUV-10(Mn) and MIL-53(Al) using a calcium alginate method to achieve excellent ethylene/ethane separation performance. The performance of the sphere-shaped adsorbents has been validated using mechanical strength measurements

powder X-ray diffraction

scanning electron microscopy

thermogravimetric analysis

gas adsorption isotherms and dynamic breakthrough experiments. The excellent mechanical strength of these sphere-shaped adsorbents meets the criteria for industrial application in gas separation. Thus

the energy consumption and operating cost will be further reduced in the ethylene production process. We believe that this shaping method will open a prosperous route to the development of MOFs toward higher technology levels and their commercial application.